bobstheboy

I have just read a review of the 32 day trip on the Balmoral where the writer appears horrified at the way the All Inclusive package was abused on the ship.

 

"The usual range of middle-aged men prop up the bar from coffee time to dinner on sea days. They sit there getting louder and louder (and uncouth) Spoiling other people's relaxation in the Morning Light pub, and the musicians when they are playing. In the lounges in the evening others are at massive consumption in a small time, so performers are drowned out by raucous talking/ laughter. which again spoils the majority enjoyment."

 

I confess I took advantage of the package and found it to be good value but at no time was I aware of that sort of behaviour either in the restaurant or during the shows that I went to. The men at the bar were there because they found it a good way to socialise and during the times I spent in that bar or when passing through I was never aware of any bad or offensive behaviour.

 

There were very few middle aged men on the trip either but I suppose most of us would be happy to be described as such.

If the passengers on that cruise were anything like the crowd on my Balmoral cruise they would moan if you whispered walking through the shopping area !!

I wasn't grumbling because I, or others don't get all the benefits, it is just the principal of paying £2 a day for choice of seating. If it was prior to the cruise and I choose not to, it is pot luck, but when on board I would expect that if vacancies were available on my choice of sitting the cruise line would oblige. There were people on 1st and 2nd sitting who would gladly have swopped but would have had to £2 a day for the privilege. That to me is petty and greedy.

Anyway, have a lovely Christmas and here's to many more cruises !!

Sometimes I can't believe what I read on these forums.

The all inclusive a farce ? I just don't agree. But it's my opinion.

If the OP wanted a firm dining then pay for it.

We are always served non wine drinks in the dining rooms.

Surprised the OP didn't grumble about not getting any OBC like those of us who pay the full price to ensure we get the cabin, dining, shuttle buses etc etc.

And yes I am a Fred Olsen Fan, no apologies.

Happy cruising which ever line we all choose.

It is your choice to pay full price and I am sure punters like you keep the cruise lines solvent.

I prefer to pay bottom dollar and even if I have a cruise which is below par for me I can still smile that I paid far less than others. My last cruise with Fred Olsen, excuse the pun, cost me £450 and I know others in a similar cabin paid over a £1000 - each. Happy days.

Not at all actually, just pay attention to the terms of any special pricing and you won't get unpleasant surprises ...

 

We certainly didn't pay full price when we got two cruises this year for the price of one, but you have to pick your offers carefully to make sure they fit with your needs.

 

I Just don't have a lot of sympathy when people ignore the published terms of an offer then complain about it later on (if indeed it is the case for this poster).

 

Fred has a long way to go before the Ryanair comparison would have any validity.

You are probably right.

My cruise is still a raw memory so I am being very critical. Just can't believe they would want £2 a day to ensure a particular sitting for dinner. We were in the Avon on the Balmoral and had what we wanted, 2nd sitting. I know at least one couple who wanted to change from 1st and were ask to pay the charge, they refused and kept 1st sitting and there was space in the restaurant for them on 2nd, pathetic.

Join the club.

Of course you must pay full price to get all the goodies with Fred as the regulars will tell you. I hope you did get a good deal the thought of paying top dollar for my recent Fred cruise would upset me for ever. They are like Ryanair, additional money wherever they can get it.

Pure greed

I never post when reading these threads but I feel compelled to defend bobstheboy this time around. Some of the conditions other passengers are in is of real concern to me as a nurse. Yes it may be their choice, but some infirm passengers pose a serious risk to themselves and to other passengers as well in terms of safety relating to mobility. Before you say "well how would you know and why do you care?", my husband is disabled and has unintentionally injured someone on a cruise after falling while at sea. Thankfully the other man wasn't badly injured but my husband's self confidence took a real dive when it came to travelling on boats again. He'd never go without me and I really wish that cruise lines would push for people to seriously consider taking on a companion, be it a friend or child or partner, or even a volunteer. Feel free to disagree by all means but I know from a personal and professional standpoint, some people just shouldn't choose to travel alone.

Someone with common sense and professional know how.

The replies from the Fred Olsen faithful have reinforced my decision to never cruise with them again.

Good luck and don't forget to help the elderly infirm when they fall, or maybe just keep walking.

Ok I give in !

Leave it up to the doctor. I am sure all these infirm elderly people will seek their approval.

Leave it up to Fred Olsen. They will be concerned and wouldn't want their money.

Leave it up to the person. Yes fine let them injure themselves whilst others wash their hands.

Fortunately for him, it is not for you to decide.

 

I rather hope that should I be fortunate to live that long I'll be similarly continuing to take holidays that I consider to be enjoyable regardless of how others feel about my presence on-board.

 

We will be sailing on Black Watch in a few days time and are looking forward to the usual diverse range of people we will meet on-board, a few grumpy ones will doubtless be there but are a tiny minority and have no effect on our enjoyment.

Silly comments.

If you were in the condition of that man I described would you really want to be on a ship on your own ? I will repeat what I saw. A very elderly man on his own, who could hardly put one foot in front of the other and required a walking stick in each hand. He was badly bruised from a fall on the first day on board and attended the medical centre daily, and had another fall requiring help as he was trying to leave the ship. My feelings about his presence on board were for his safety, no other reasons. Safe to be on board ? No way.

I had no intention of posting any more on this thread but some of the replies are incredulous.

I firmly believe that there are many elderly infirm people traveling alone on Fred Olsen ships who are a danger to themselves and others. It is their choice but sometimes in life people make stupid decisions that have to be corrected by others. I will repeat what I posted previously, in an emergency these people are putting their lives in danger and others who may go to assist them.

Fred Olsen have obviously built up a good return customer business and will let anyone on board judging by the poor health of some I saw. Whilst there are no incidents which will cause bad publicity they will get away with it.

"So the man fell, it was bad luck."

He fell on his second day on board and was badly bruised, being treated in the Medical Centre daily. He fell on his last day, badly bruising himself. He could hardly put one foot in front of the other. He was walking with two walking sticks. He was on his own.

Bad luck ? I believe he should not have been on the ship and I saw him.

How would seeing that man have made any difference to my comment? I believe that many old people would rather go on holiday, when they aren't really fit, because it's better than stopping at home. The gentlemen you refer to is pretty much preoof of what I said.

 

Clearly as soon as you feel like you're getting old, you will cancel all holidays and book yourself a nursing home so as to be no bother to anyone else. Good for you. I doubt I will be so noble - if I have the chance of a cruise holiday, even though my health isn't as good as it was, I'll be going on holiday. Sitting at home watching telly for 52 weeks a year can be overrated.

So you approve of elderly infirm people on there own going on holiday in an unsafe environment and injuring themselves - good for you. As for your comments re a nursing home, well I shall leave my thoughts to myself.

Some of the posts in reply to my honest observations are frankly bewildering. I wouldn't want my wife onboard a ship on her own in the frail condition of the man we saw and helped, whilst others walked by. My concern isn't for myself but others who need the decision as to whether they are well enough for this type of holiday, to be taken out of their hands.

I believe there is a wider Health and Safety issue with cruise lines allowing infirm passengers, on their own, into an environment potentially dangerous. In the event of an emergency they are risking their lives and others who would be trying to help them.

This is my last post because obviously some are misconstruing my comments and not realising I only mean well for these people.

Well Bobstheboy how lucky you are to be in a position to be irritated by the less able bodied.

My father fought in a war so that we could live in an inclusive society.

I for one admire the guts and determination of people who find life more challenging than I do and good for them if they decide that a cruise is what they are going to do. They are not from a generation where making a fuss is normal. So what if you can't get past someone on a zimmer or wheelchair, chill, your on holiday. If they tut when you make a noise then so what, does it matter? I have to say that my husband was extremely noisy playing the deck games. (very competitive!) and got a few looks. Water off a ducks back to him.

We avoided the lifts and used the stairs.

As for insurance, then I imagine there were quite a few exclusions, a massive excess and premium.

I apologise if I have misinterpreted your last posting but I do find it most offensive.

You certainly have misinterpreted my last post. My wife and I were not at all irritated by elderly infirm people, just couldn't understand why some were in an environment that was frankly dangerous. If you think being on a ship which is rolling in a force 8 is a safe place for elderly infirm people on there own, struggling with two walking sticks, then I find you offensive.

Did I state we were annoyed because we couldn't pass a wheelchair or zimmer ? Please accept my concerns for the elderly infirm are in there own interest and do not jump to conclusions .

I think perhaps you ought to wait until you are in that condition before being so dogmatic. If you're old, infirm, and only going to get worse, you might consider going on holiday and making the best of it is a better option than sitting at home waiting to die.

If you had seen the man with bruising all over his arm and having to attend the medical centre every day and clearly incapable of looking after himself you wouldn't have made that comment. I am all for elderly people going on holiday when they are infirm if they are looked after by a carer, but when on there own and clearly having difficulty coping with everyday life, then no.

Yes, we are all different. It is interesting that two experiences of the same cruise can be viewed in diverse ways- whichever the cruise line.

I was very reluctant to try FO and was persuaded to try it. I was quite surprised at the range of passengers - more physical range than age. You can meet grumpy younger folk and really fun older ones.

I did notice on the upper deck, the numbers of folk determined to get a tan - if they were quiet, they were probably concentrating and ready to turn over for a grilling on the other side :)

I did forget to say earlier that my husband also enjoyed the gym very much - that was another plus.

I do realise that if we went again with FO, it might be a different experience but that applies to any other cruise.

I can honestly say though that I did not see any disapproval, tutting or grumpiness on this holiday and thankfully on others we have experienced.

We did have a good holiday and I'm pleased for you that you enjoyed yourselves.

I am not going to keep on the same subject and bore everyone but on a serious note there were some passengers who were too infirm to be on a ship. As we were making our way off at Southampton we found a man, traveling alone, who had fallen by a lift. He had two walking sticks and had fallen earlier in the cruise. We got a chair from a cabin and sat him down. He refused our offer to call the medical centre, left him and reported his location to an officer we met on the next deck. We saw many instances of very infirm people and wondered how they got insurance cover. Most were with wives or husbands who were able bodied but elderly themselves and struggling, especially on sea days. They is no way I would want to go on a cruise in that condition.

We are all different and therefore look for different experiences on a cruise. For us the overwhelming impression during and after this cruise is old grumpy people and that will stay with us. Even on good weather days, we found people on the upper deck were frowning at our laughter, maybe we were wrong and just should have got a book out and kept quiet.

Not wanting to put anyone off Fred Olsen but some people will want a more diverse range of passengers enjoying themselves.

A quick review of our cruise to the Canaries on the Balmoral.

We liked the ship, a classic older style cruise ship, well stabilised in rough seas and we had some !

We liked the service from very friendly staff in the bars and restaurant.

We liked the food at all meal times and the choices offered.

We enjoyed the majority of the shows in the Neptune lounge and the resident band and entertainment team of dancers and singers were very good.

We met some lovely people and made friends we will keep in touch with.

Now for the negatives.

I am 67 and my wife is 55. The average age of the passengers I would guess at 75+ Some were like us, sociable and friendly, many were grumpy, miserable and rude. I could quote many examples but one that sticks in my mind is on sea days when walking through the shopping area, it was full of passengers sat reading books. Wow betide you if you were having a laugh with friends because you got looks and tut tuts as if you were walking through a library. At dinner our "neighbours" were more interested in listening to our table conversations than there own. I could go on but you get the picture.

Another point which annoyed me with Fred Olsen was some passengers, who had paid top dollar for their cabins, were charged £2 a day per person to guarantee 1st or 2nd sitting.

I could go on but suffice to say we will not return to a Fred Olsen Cruise. I might be an OAP but I do want to see fellow travellers enjoying themselves and not whinging and pulling faces all the time. Just a last comment which typifies some of the passengers. I was told by a member of staff that a couple complained to reception because the Captain gave the wrong weather forecast ! In Lisbon he said there would be early rain, followed by clear skies. The rain had cleared away by the time they had gone ashore and they had unnecessarily carried umbrellas and rain coats. How pathetic.

I never pointed out prices for inside cabins were going up, I said in reply to your statement " it's a good thing the prices for steerage are going up" So I don't need your maths books and "Therefore pro rata every other cabin class prices are rising " is all well and good in your mind, but you give no evidence at all. I travelled on Oceana 5 years ago and paid around £220 a night for a mid-ships balcony and five years on I've just travelled on Ventura for the same price and booked on Celeb for next year at the same price, so I have the facts, you however seem to be just talking "Tosh"

I'm all for ships without inside cabins, having talked to many staff on numerous lines they all say that inside a larger percentage of inside cabin users cause more problems on ships, and also cost more to feed as many off them feel the need to eat like pigs at every opportunity, and also moan more even though they paid two bob for the trip.

On Your "make cruising accessible for all and not just the stuck up lot!!!!!!!!!!" Perhaps they should offer free cabins for people on the dole as well? Or maybe P&O & other lines should go round towns/citys and invite a few tramps on as well, and you can subsidise them, you'd be the first to moan then!:cool:

What a nice person you are.

Dear, dear Why answer a comment placed a P&O thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1018909&page=2 here in Royal Caribbean thread? Maybe this will help http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zwdiK3qwcOcC&lpg=PP1&dq=computing%20for%20dummies&pg=PP1

 

Oh and if that's a bit hard, in answer to "have a look at the inside cabin prices for the azura and compare them to 5 years ago" I didn't realise you were talking about steerage, and in that case it's a good thing the prices for steerage are going up, cruisers in balconies and suites have been subsidising that crowd for years!:eek::D

As a "steerage" passenger I find your comments so funny ! The thought of the "upper class" in balconies and suites subsiding my cruise gives me a warm feeling

Many thanks for your interesting review. My wife and I went through the Canal on the Dawn Princess and it was the best cruise we have experienced.

We are now looking forward to our Mediterranean cruise on the Jade on 30th May, being Brits we can drive to Southampton.

Bob